Recently, a smelting reduction method that is capable of replacing the conventional blast furnace method has been developed. In the smelting reduction method, raw coal is directly used as a fuel and a reducing agent, and iron ore is directly used as an iron source. The iron ore is reduced in the reduction furnace and molten iron is formed in a melter-gasifier. Coal briquettes formed by pressing and molding raw coal to have a predetermined size are provided to the melter-gasifier, and oxygen gas is injected into the melter-gasifier to burn the coal briquettes. Thus, reduced iron may be melted.
The iron ore is charged into the reduction furnace so that the iron ore may be reduced. The iron ore may be directly charged into the reduction furnace without using additional devices, but the iron ore may not be uniformly dispersed in the reduction furnace. Thus, segregation may occur inside the reduction furnace.
The present invention provides a reduction furnace including a charging device that is capable of uniformly dispersing an iron-containing material without segregation.
In addition, the present invention provides an apparatus for manufacturing molten iron including the same.